Ground box with switch-actuating controller



' Mar. 3, 1925. 1,528,029 w R. M. ROBINSON GROTjND BOX WITH SWITCH ACTUATING CONTROLLER Filed March 29. 1'92:

I i- 4' Q 3 4/ ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 3, 1925.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFF ROBERT M. ROBINSON, OF- LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR 'lO CHEATIIAM ELEC- TRIO SWITCHING DEVICE CO. INC., O'F LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, A CORPORATION OF KENTUCKY.

GROUND BOX WITH SWITCH-ACTUATING CONTROLLER.

, Application filed March 29, 1923. Serial No. eas,574.

Boxes'with Switch-Actuating Controllers,

of which the following isa specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a ground box for switching devices with contents arranged therein so that the contents may function under all the conditions of service and connections so made and arranged that neither water nor any other foreign element will interfere with the functioning of theapparatus, and a further object is to provi le electrical connections which willbe good under all the conditions of service and which will be so sealed that it will be impossible for water to get to the ground magnets or at the connections between the exterior of the casing and the ground magnets.

This andother objectsare accomplished by my invention, one embodiment of which is hereinafter more particularly set forth.

For a more detailed description of my invention, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of provided with my improvement with cover removed.

Figures 2 and 3 are sectional views of the cylinder containing the ground magnets, these views being taken as indicated, Figure a ground box the 2 on the line 22 of Figure 3, and Figure? on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

. Throughout the various views of the drawings, similar reference characters designate similar parts.

The ground box 1 is made in the conventional manner with a bottom 2 and sides 3 and ends 4: which receive a cover, not shown. One end i is slotted at 5 to receive a connection with a switch point rail which is made in the conventional manner and not shown.

Near the slot 5 the bottom 2 carries a pedestal 6 which forms a bearing for the pivot of a lever 7 which is made in the usual manner and carries an opening 8 which is adapted to receive the connection from the switch point rail and another opening which receives a U 9 which connects with the core 10 of the double solenoid 11 which is placed in the cylinder 12 that rests on the bottom 2. The'core 10 also carries a pin 13 shown'in' dotted lines in ,Figure 1, which [enters a siot let of a lever15 which has one end fulcrumed at 16 and'a pair of ears 17 near this pivot 16 which are pivotally connected to a link 18- that runs to a plunger 19 of a synchronizing switch that reciprocates through a suitable stuffing box 20 in one end of the water tight box 21. The cover of this water tight box 21, shown in F ignre 1, is removed to reveal the structure. The plunger 19 carries an insulated ring 22 which may connect two contacts 23 and 24 or two contacts 25 and 26, but cannot connect both pairs at once. The rear end of this plunger 19 shifts in a suitable, bearing 27 which guides this plunger true between the electric contacts above mentioned. v V

vThe pivot? also has a perforated ear 28 placed substantially as shown in Figure 1, andipivotally connected to a rod 29 which has fixed thereon a spring cap 30 which presses against a coil sprlng 31 and this rod 29 runs into this coil spring and also into abushing 32 which has a spring cap 33 against which this spring presses and an ear 3/1 which is pivoted at 35 to a lug 36 which extends from a side wall 3, the parts being so arranged and disposed that when the core 10 is in mid-position or substantially so, the

spring81 will have-its maximum compression and be compressed less at either end of thethrow of this core 10 so that'the spring 31 will tend to keep this core at one or'the other of its end positions. In the drawing this core is shown in substantially its mid position. It will be understood that the spring 31 is made strong and powerful'so as to function, as described, with great certainty and power. V

The casing 12, as above described, is open at both ends sufficiently to receive the plunger 10 at one end which slides freely in a core 37 which is a brass tube that runs from one head to the other. At its front end it is held by the nut 38 and at its rear end it is held by a disc 39 which is screw threaded in suitable threads in this cylinder 12 and so held in place while it holds the tube 37 by screw threads, as shown in Figure 2. The head 39 has an off set bracket which has openings 41 and receives a coil spring '42 against which the plunger 10' may impinge without injury. The openings at each side of the bracket 40 permitiany in the" usual -manner andone end of these coils is groundedthrough the cylinder 12 and ground"b'o 1or in any other suitable way,"as'desired, and the wires 44 and 45 are 'connectedto the exterior in a manner which makes the connections sure and water tigl'it and in a manner" which will now be described.

Thecasing 12 has a boss 46 near its rear end which may be given any suita-bleshape and thisisclosed bya'cover plate 47 which is held in place by cap screws 48. The cover plate 47 contains insulated bushings 49 which are water tight and through these in a water tight manner ektend the metal binding posts 50 which have their interior ends secured *to't-he' wires 44 and 45 by means of screws 51 and their outer ends'are connected to the lead in wires 52 and 53 by set screws 54 in the usual way. These lead in wires 52 and 53 come through a hole 55 which is placed in the'wall of the pocket 56 which is also held by the cap screws 48 and against the plate 47. The pocket formed by the wall 56 and cover plate 47' may be sealed by a sealing mixture 57 such as sealin'g co'mpound or pitch which may be melted and poured in place andallowed' to congeal and thereby make a water tight seal after all the electrical connections have been made.

In the foregoing has been described an embodiment of my invention which fulfills the object" above stated, a'safe, sure and ;iositive apparatus which will function'regularly and with certainty whenever and wherever desired. If'the apparatus is used so as to always function power on it will be used as shown with the box 21 and its con- .tents, but if it, operates according to power pivoted arnii'nounted in a bearing rising from said bottom, means for connecting the' said arm to switch point 'i'ail,"a ground solenoid with a core connected to said arm,

a lever pivotally connected to said core and a synchronizing device connected to said lever.

21 A ground box having a bottom, a pivoted arm mounted in a bearing rising from said bottom, means for connecting the said arm to a switch point rail, a ground solenoid'with a core connected to said arm,

a lever pivotally connected to said core and a water tight synchronizing device pivotally connected to said lever.

A ground box having a bottom, a pivoted arm mounted in a bearing rising from said bottom, means for connecting the said arm to a switch pointiail, aground solenoid with a core connected to said arm, a lever pivotally connected to said core and a synchronizing device being composed of a plunger, an insulated conductor carried by said plunger, fixed contacts adapted to be connected to said insulated conductor and means for keeping the conductor and fixed contact out of contact with water.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 12th day of March, 1923.

ROBERT M. ROBINSON. 

